Dynamic inventory

Automax normally reads targets from a static YAML inventory passed with --inventory. Dynamic inventory keeps the same external-file model, but the inventory file can delegate host discovery to a provider.

Dynamic inventory is resolved before plan/run execution and after variables and secrets are loaded, so provider definitions can use {{ vars.* }} and {{ secrets.* }}.

Static inventory

servers:
  web01:
    host: 10.0.0.11
    groups: [web]

File provider

Use provider: file when one inventory should include another generated file:

inventory:
  provider: file
  path: generated/prod.yaml

Relative paths are resolved relative to the inventory wrapper file.

The referenced file must return a normal Automax inventory document:

servers:
  web01:
    host: 10.0.0.11
    groups: [web]

Command provider

Use provider: command when an internal script or CMDB client prints inventory to stdout:

inventory:
  provider: command
  command: ["./scripts/list-hosts.py", "--environment", "prod"]
  format: yaml
  timeout: 30

The command must exit with code 0 and print a mapping containing servers. Both YAML and JSON payloads are accepted:

{
  "servers": {
    "web01": {
      "host": "10.0.0.11",
      "groups": ["web"]
    }
  }
}

By default, string commands are split without a shell. Use list form whenever possible:

command: ["python3", "scripts/list-hosts.py", "--env", "prod"]

shell: true is supported only when explicitly requested:

inventory:
  provider: command
  command: "./scripts/list-hosts.sh prod"
  shell: true

Do not use shell: true with untrusted variables.

HTTP provider

Use provider: http when a CMDB or inventory API returns the inventory payload:

inventory:
  provider: http
  url: "https://cmdb.example/api/automax/prod"
  headers:
    Authorization: "Bearer {{ secrets.cmdb_token }}"
  format: json
  timeout: 15

The HTTP provider uses GET. The response body must contain an Automax inventory document.

Validation

Dynamic inventories work with the same commands as static inventories:

automax validate --strict --job jobs/deploy.yaml --inventory inventory/prod.yaml
automax plan --job jobs/deploy.yaml --inventory inventory/prod.yaml
automax run --job jobs/deploy.yaml --inventory inventory/prod.yaml

Use automax schema export --kind inventory --format=json to export the schema for static and dynamic inventory documents.